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| Red diamonds from 2013 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender. |
There is nothing quite like seeing a fine, rare diamond. Once you have seen one or two, it becomes a desire to see more…and that desire was recently sated when Rio Tinto brought a preview of its annual Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender to New York City. This year, the highlights of the 64-diamond collection were three red diamonds. Each of these three stones was a rich, vibrant red that is very rarely seen in diamonds. Even the scintillation of the stones flashed red rainbows of light and glowed when held in the hand. According to Josephine Johnson, manager, Argyle Pink Diamonds, there have only been six diamonds certified red by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) that have been presented for sale since the mine began producing in 1983 — and three of them are in this tender. The largest of the three stones, and one of the heroes of the 2013 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender, is a 1.56-carat round brilliant, fancy red I2 named the Argyle Phoenix, in honor of the newly commissioned underground mine. The other two red diamonds are a .58-carat fancy red I2 and a .20-carat fancy red SI2. They may be small, but they pack a powerful punch of color. Also of particular interest is another of the “heroes” in the collection: the Argyle Imperial, a 3.02-carat radiant, fancy intense orangy pink SI1, which is notable for its size. This is the first time in eight years that there has been a stone of 3 carats or more in the tender. When one sees these prestigious red diamonds, one is reminded of the magic of diamonds.Article from the Rapaport Magazine - July 2013. To subscribe click here.